Which camcorder have you purchased recently and are you happy with it?

[MJA]

I'm sorry

[kimco52]

racer-x,
Sorry I wasn't more definitive.....
I watched your video clip and when it plays, it looks like there is streaking with fast motion. It played jerkily at the point just after he hits the ball and there is streaking.

I thought I read earlier that some HD cameras do that.... the only bad thing about them. That is what prompted my question. I shoot a lot where I pan all the time and the subjects are moving.... not race cars but similar to boat races. I am shooting things moving anywhere from 15-45 mph from a distance of 100-300 feet from the subject ( as it passes by). I am usually shooting from an elevated point (10-15 feet) and hence I am constantly panning and tilting, keeping the subject in frame. I don't want any streaking of the subject or background. Hence my question..........

[racer-x]

@kimco52,
If there is streaking during fast motion, it's because I used Shutter Priority and set shutter speed to 1/60 sec. If you want sharper images with high motion, you can set shutter speed to 1/120, 1/250, or way up to 1/1000 if you want and there is available light.

It's important to remember that that clip was deinterlaced, resized, and heavily compressed to wmv format. If it stutters for you, it could be your PC is not powerful enough. The large resolution and WMV codec do need a bit of CPU to run.

The only drawback to HDV is the long GOP's (I frames every 15 frames), so you only have acurate frames every 15. That's a limitation of the Mpeg-2 codec and not the camera. However the picture quality is far superior to any SD camera.

[MJA]

it's nice to have a HD burner for the Canon camera.that will be a complete package.

[Rond66]

I have been looking at buying the JVC GR-D770. Is it a good camcorder?

[MJA]

when it comes to MiniDV Camcorders. Canon ,and Panasonic,and sony are the best

[kimco52]

There are a few things that are important to capturing good images/video.
In addition to framing, zooming(too much zooming and panning can make viewers dizzy. Don't overuse it), composition, etc., the important things to consider are light and lens. Getting enough light is important to getting good color pictures (aperature) and the quality of the lens. All things being equal, I would go for the cameras with the best lens and light sensitivity. For that, I would agree with MJA. I am partial to Canon lenses but Sony is also good. Panasonic also has a good reputation in the prosumer/pro ranks. JVC does too. That's about where I would limit it.

[Jeff_NJ]

I bought a Sony HD HC-1. I've been using it for a few months now. I love it. True I havent been able to really take advantage of HD yet as far as my projects, but I have shot in HD and viewed it on an HD tv, and the picture is pretty impressive.

Jeff

[Rond66]

Which MiniDV Tapes are better for JVC camcorders?
Are they all the same?

[Cyrax9]

The Sony DSR-PD170 is the "replacement/upgrade" from my Sony DSR-PDX10 and the Sony DSR-PD150. I've used the PD170s at the college once just to see how they handle and the only noticeable difference from the PDX10 is the addition of a handle much like the DCR-VX200 which has been replaced by the DCR-VX2100 (more on that in a moment,) and a B&W viewfinder that's comfortable, unlike that of the PDX10 which is the size of a peephole created by some voyeur and forces you to squint while looking through it at an image a quarter of an inch tall that makes you wonder why they bothered to include the darn thing in the first place.

Having shot footage for a documentary last fall on one of the school's DCR-VX2100's I can honestly say I love this camcorder for "Guerilla-style shooting" which is what most handheld shots are. This camera is a popular choice among the skateboarding crowd since it responds well to a lot of motion without a lot of shaky video issues -- this is a plus for amateurs and semi-professionals. The reason I absolutely LOVED using the VX2100 was that it had a comfortable color LCD, color viewfinder, Sony's "zoom ring," plenty of professional settings, shot in DV SP, so it was using an established standard, was highly portable, and easy to set up, break down after a shoot, and carry away with relative ease. Here are just a few of the places I took the VX2100 for a professional shoot:

- NWI Airport -- one of the people being filmed worked there (yes we had to go through HELL to get clearance for this, and the footage didn't even make the final video, go figure.) and we literally had the camera on a hand truck being dragged around the airport for a dolly shot -- this was a bit "extreme" but it worked just fine.

- An Ice Skating rink -- same person mentioned above, and yes the camera went on the ice, we created a makeshift watershield and got that "Hockey puck effect" that people loved, and didn't damage the camera at all -- that shot did make the final video.

- An air force base -- again this was the same person we were filming before, (and unlike the airport, clearance for the AFB was ridiculously easy to get,) and on this shoot we took the thing onto the tarmac, shot footage of small planes and the refueling planes, and so on -- I'll be honest, the tarmac was about ten degrees colder than anywhere else and there were some points where the camera did finally lose focus from all of the wind created by the jet engines.

- On another unrelated shoot, we took the video to a local airport, again the same issues with the tarmac were a problem every so often, but I doubt you'll be shooting on a tarmac every day. We also took the VX2100 up IN a Cessna 170 on this particular shoot and there were two of us who just shot a whole tape worth of footage inside the plane from a bird's eye view, as well as the landing where we wound up holding the camera against the ceiling. I thought all of the footage would be unusable, but it turns out that none of it was shaky and we use a LOT of it throughout the film.

- A conference room -- nothing special here.

- Classrooms and offices -- see above for comment.

The video was a documentary on community colleges which lead to a very shocking revelation on the diversity of the students, we had an aviation major, and a USAF officer among them which should explain all of the aviation-related shoots, but the bottom line is that this camera was able to handle them, despite the fact that it's usually used on campus only.

This semester I opted to go with my Sony DSR-PDX10 while filming, again this is a great MiniDV camera, and if you can find one new, second hand, or even used it's one I'd recommend since it has some nice "extras" for a camera of its kind. It's been replaced by the slightly more expensive DCR-PD170 which I find to have a few improvements, but several flaws as well, namely the lack of the more professional DVCAM mode being a flaw to me with the addittion of a handle similar to that of the VX2000/VX2100 being a major plus. These are what the school uses so they're really a lot of fun.

For HDV, Sony has a few really nice models out, I've already mentioned in other threads my opinion on the picture quality and the price, but if you go HDV make sure you go with a CMOS chip over a one or 3-CCD camera -- it's so much better and the little bit of extra money you spend is worth it.

If you're really looking at HD and very little footage at a time, consider the Panasonic AGHVX200. This is a bit more expensive, and as the term DVCProHD suggests, the HD footage you shoot is in the industry standard professional Hi-Def format. It's shot to Panasonic P2 Flash cards instead of Tapes, but there is a MiniDV Tape compartment on the machine for shooting SD footage as well. Officially this camera is classified as a "consumer/semi-professional" model. Unoffically however, this is a professional HD Camera -- NBC's News Division, as well as all local FOX Affiliates' news divisions use these exclusively. The picture quality of this camera is gorgeous, and the ability to shoot in DVCProHD is a major plus since it's more common than HDV among professionals, but you're still offered the ability to shoot MiniDV tapes at a true consumer level for your SD footage. Likewise if you plan on using a camera lightly around work, I'd recommend the HVX200 -- it's the cheapest DVCProHD camera I can find, it puts out images that, with proper filtering, look like they were shot on film, and the next step up is the Panasonic Varicam which is obscenely expensive unless you're making a living by shooting Hi-Def video, so the HVX200 really serves everyone. Pro's love it because it's a DVCProHD camera that's relatively cheap and perfect for news gathering. Semi-Professionals and educational institutions love it because it's inexpensive, and because it's really a professional camera at the price of a consumer camera, so they can teach their students how to shoot in HD without breaking the bank on Panasonic Varicams or similar systems. Consumers love it because it offers "real" HD -- not HDV like every other camera out there, and it does it at a price that consumers can afford, meaning it isn't a $20 grand device that requires a degree in filmmaking and the knowledge of George Lucas to operate. If you've been using VHS-C this long, you might want to look at the HVX200 since I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon, and it's gaining a lot of recognition among people who are just starting to look into HD. While it's true that the P2 Flash cards for it are expensive now, in five years they'll be larger in cheaper, in the meantime, you still have a MiniDV VTR for SD video, and the longterm investment is well worth the $4000-$6000 I've seen the HVX200 retail for.

In the end it depends on what you're really planning to do. If you're going to use a camera once or twice, you might just consider renting or borrowing one. If you're going to use it for only a few years and then replace it again, I'd say go with the Sony DCR-VX2100 or DSR-PD170 since the DSR-PDX10 is discontinued and these are both great SD Cameras, for simple filming, but if you're going to be holding onto this thing for awhile the way it sounds like you are since you're just coming off of a VHS-C camera, I'd then say go with the HVX200 from Panasonic since it's going to take a good 10 years or more to make it obsolete, and the camera will probably break before something comes along and renders HD video "obsolete" so it's not like you're investing in a standard that "might" succeed. DVCProHD is already in common use as is MiniDV, and you'll be able to shoot both, there's no need to worry about the cost of a new HD camera after nobody has SD equipment readily in use, and there's no need to worry about the distribution since your final HD Video can be stored on P2 Flash Cards indefinitely, it can be downconverted to SD and onto MiniDV Tape if you have someone who doesn't want it in HD or wants a tape copy, it can be transferred to DVD through your authoring software of choice, and since it has a MiniDV VTR, it also has a firewire connection so you don't need a non-standard cable. If you don't have a firewire connection on your computer, you should get one now -- they're useful for more than just video, and firewire cards are cheap, you can also purchase an external hard drive with firewire connectivity and store your finished videos there when you're done so you'll have your masters and any copies you make.

I'd consider the HVX200 for HD, and the Sony VX2100 or PD170 for SD Only. I won't touch DVD/Minidisc/Hard Drive SD Cameras since they really are "disposable" devices with too much compression, and not much better than that VHS-C camera you're trying to move away from. I'd say if you're still using VHS-C, treat yourself to the HVX200 -- it'll be a major leap forward for you and you won't have to do this again for quite awhile. Truth be told we had a fancy VHS Camera we'd borrow up until about 1998 when my Grandfather passed on. We then gave that camera to my cousin, from 98-Spring 05 I had no camera. In fall '05 I bought my PDX10 and a cheap Panasonic Palmcorder since I needed a quick stop-gap for a major event that my PDX10 wouldn't be available in time for. My father has the Palmcorder now and I use the PDX10 regularly, but I'm eventually going to switch to an HD Camera, truth be told though, I want to see more DVCProHD offerings before I make the switch since it's more of a professional move for me than a hobbyist move. I hope this helps.

[Captain Satellite]

Wow! What a response. Thanks. That's a lot to digest.

[edDV]

I've got a DCR-PD150 and have used the DCR-PD170. Both support DVCAM. DVCAM is identical to DV for recording format but uses wider tracks for easier interchange with other players but I haven't had a problem using normal DV mode.

As for the HVX-200, although the P2 cards may be viable for short projects, the current solution is to use the $699 Focus FS-4HD hard disk recorder for adequate recording time for 100Mb/s DVCProHD format.


http://www.videoguys.com/FireStore.html#Anchor--Foc-40329

Another comment concerning these high end camcorders. All can be rented as needed. If you are doing a paid shoot it is easy to pass rental fees directly to the client. Also if you gain a working relationship with other video pros, you can borrow or swap equipment to handle a shoot. I've traded out HDV editing services for weekend loans of a Sony FX-1 or Z1. Also for Betacam players and other equipment.

I've also rented out my PD-150 and a Premiere Pro PC for long term projects.

Hard drive recording is becoming an exciting prospect for the "little guy". In the past we had to have expensive playback decks for editing. No more

[HenkZ]

I just bought a Panasonic NV-GS230EG-S (in PAL country, Europe). I haven't
done much testing, and I'm not that experienced with Camcorders to compare
it to other types. Price : about 530 Euros, but in many online shops it goes
for only 400.

It's a 3 CCD device (but not a pro model), and I am pleased with the
colors in daylight. I'm not pleased with the sound recording by
the built-in stereo microphone, but that seems to be a problem with
most entry-level camcorders. I intend to ask the shopkeeper if I can
make it better by using an external microphone.

It's a miniDV device; when recording it makes a noise, but I
don't seem to hear it when I watch it on my PC (or maybe the poor
recording quality helps here).

Zoom capability : 10 optical 20/(500) digital.

Indoor lowlight conditions seem a bit weak, but I haven't tried all the
night-time and low-light features; those may help a bit.

You can transfer video using USB (2.0 mandatory) or FireWire, though
I have only tried USB. I'm not sure there is much difference in use.

It comes with MotionDV Studio LE 5.6 and Sweet Movie life 1.0. The first
is a more advanced DV editing package. The second a much simpler product.

It _can_ take pictures at 2.3 Mpixel, but that is not why I bought it.

I am a bit worried about potential mechanical problems that may someday
arise with the miniDV mechanism where a harddisk would probably not suffer.
I have been looking for user experiences of it, but I guess it's new on the market,
and there's not that much information available yet.

I see that you have already decided, but this post may inform others in
the future.

[peter06]

I'm happy with the Sony DCR-HC96. For me its still the best cam in its price range